The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports:

Crews suspend search for teen who fell off bridge

PHOTO BY BENJAMIN KRAIN

Witnesses and family members react as rescue workers search the Arkansas River after a 13-year-old boy fell from the Interstate 430 bridge into the water Wednesday.

LITTLE ROCK — After more than four hours, rescue crews called off their search Wednesday for the body of a 13-year-old boy who fell from the Interstate 430 bridge over the Arkansas River.

Search boats from Pulaski County, as well as the Little Rock and North Little Rock fire departments, stopped patrolling the river about 5 p.m., but Pulaski County sheriff’s office spokesman Lt. Carl Minden said county search crews would return to the water today.

The crews were called to search the northern side of the Arkansas River beneath the bridge shortly after noon, when multiple calls came in that someone had jumped from the interstate into the water.

Minden said preliminary reports indicate that the teen, whom authorities have not identified, was en route to a clinical care or rehabilitation facility with his aunt when their northbound vehicle started to cross the bridge.

The teen threatened to open the door and jump out, Minden said, so his aunt pulled over and he stepped out of the car.

According to Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler, the teen walked south along the eastern shoulder of the road while his aunt’s vehicle continued north.

It was near the second column from the northern shore where the teen went over the top, North Little Rock Fire Department Assistant Chief Steve Smith said.

The teen was able to grab on to one of the pillars below, and once he lost a grip, witnesses along the side of the road yelled at him to hold on, Smith and Minden said.

Eventually, he went under, according to authorities.

Traffic slowed to a crawl in the northern lanes of the bridge while Arkansas State Police and local departments tried to spot the teen’s body.

The episode is still under investigation by state police and Sadler declined to give further details what led to the teen going over the bridge.

Minden said it was too early to tell how long the recovery effort might take.

After a section of construction scaffolding beneath the bridge gave way in April 2008, drowning three laborers, Minden said it wasn’t until December 2010 that the third body was finally recovered.

“[A body] can get lodged under trees, cars, there’s all sorts of debris down there,” Minden said. “At a certain point, you just have to wait.”

Arkansas, Pages 9 on 04/26/2012

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